LONDON: MCC chairman Mark Nicholls has revealed that five IPL teams have expressed "mild" interest in acquiring a stake in London Spirit, the Lord's-based team that will participate in The Hundred here.
Nicholls, who is also a veteran commentator and author, is set to take over as president of Spirit later this October.
Nicholls based his revelation on a recent letter written to members by MCC CEO Guy Lavender, seeking their approval for an offer by the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) to privatize its 49 per cent stake in Spirit.
However, he did not reveal which IPL teams have shown interest in buying the stake. Those stakeholders will be finalized through a bidding process, and the remaining 51 percent will remain with the franchise.“What we are voting is to accept the ECB's offer of 51 per cent stake in this franchise (Spirit). We will always be a members' club.
"The first goal is membership harmony because as a member you are entitled to a point of view," Nicholls said while announcing the inaugural 'World Cricket Connects' symposium at Lord's here on July 5.
The seminar is expected to be attended by BCCI secretary Jay Shah, outgoing Indian coach Rahul Dravid and his England counterpart Brendon McCullum as well as representatives of some IPL franchises.
However, he said the path to the bidding process was still being prepared by the ECB."But the real truth is that everything is not clear yet. For example, how will the bidding process be? What will be the rollout of these franchises in the bid? We don't know that yet.
"The ECB haven't announced it. We've met the investment bank - I'm not sure they even know yet. We still have a lot to learn," ESPN Cricinfo quoted Nicholls as saying.,
Nicholls also said that it would be wise for the English cricket eco-system to try to take advantage of the emerging world of franchise cricket, having missed it two decades ago.
Nicholls said, "We missed out on T20s in 2003 where we could have got it. India thought faster than us and were smarter than us, as India often is. India had to make things work." "Progresses at extraordinary speed."
Nicholls, a former first-class cricketer for Hampshire, for whom he scored more than 18,000 runs in county cricket, said the second opportunity English cricket has got through 'The Hundred' should not be missed."The Hundred has given us another opportunity. The MCC membership loves being part of the chat, rather than being confined to a part of history. The members I talk to are keen to have a team (an MCC team in the Hundred) Really like the idea of, love the opportunity it brings.
“There will be financial opportunities, either in equity raising or equity sale,” he said."
Nicholls, who is also a veteran commentator and author, is set to take over as president of Spirit later this October.
Nicholls based his revelation on a recent letter written to members by MCC CEO Guy Lavender, seeking their approval for an offer by the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) to privatize its 49 per cent stake in Spirit.
However, he did not reveal which IPL teams have shown interest in buying the stake. Those stakeholders will be finalized through a bidding process, and the remaining 51 percent will remain with the franchise.“What we are voting is to accept the ECB's offer of 51 per cent stake in this franchise (Spirit). We will always be a members' club.
"The first goal is membership harmony because as a member you are entitled to a point of view," Nicholls said while announcing the inaugural 'World Cricket Connects' symposium at Lord's here on July 5.
The seminar is expected to be attended by BCCI secretary Jay Shah, outgoing Indian coach Rahul Dravid and his England counterpart Brendon McCullum as well as representatives of some IPL franchises.
However, he said the path to the bidding process was still being prepared by the ECB."But the real truth is that everything is not clear yet. For example, how will the bidding process be? What will be the rollout of these franchises in the bid? We don't know that yet.
"The ECB haven't announced it. We've met the investment bank - I'm not sure they even know yet. We still have a lot to learn," ESPN Cricinfo quoted Nicholls as saying.,
Nicholls also said that it would be wise for the English cricket eco-system to try to take advantage of the emerging world of franchise cricket, having missed it two decades ago.
Nicholls said, "We missed out on T20s in 2003 where we could have got it. India thought faster than us and were smarter than us, as India often is. India had to make things work." "Progresses at extraordinary speed."
Nicholls, a former first-class cricketer for Hampshire, for whom he scored more than 18,000 runs in county cricket, said the second opportunity English cricket has got through 'The Hundred' should not be missed."The Hundred has given us another opportunity. The MCC membership loves being part of the chat, rather than being confined to a part of history. The members I talk to are keen to have a team (an MCC team in the Hundred) Really like the idea of, love the opportunity it brings.
“There will be financial opportunities, either in equity raising or equity sale,” he said."
